A known characteristic of fluid flow, such as the flow of liquid in a pipe, is the turbulence of the flow. Turbulence in a pipeline can be created by bends in the pipe run, connections with other pipes, partially opened valves, constrictions in the pipe, as well as moving mechanical devices such as the moving elements of a pump such as a pump rotor, diaphragm, vanes, etc.
Frictional losses and other problems develop as a result of turbulent flow, which problems disappear or diminish as flow becomes more laminar. There are known devices used to reduce turbulence in a fluid flow such as the flow straightening devices shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. Re. 31,258; 3,946,650; 2,929,248; 3,113,593; 3,840,051; 5,307,830; 5,309,946; 5,495,872; 5,762,107; 6,065,498; and 6,145,544.
Devices such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,197,509 and 5,323,661 are known to eliminate or reduce elbow induced turbulence in pipe flows, being positioned upstream of the elbow. These devices actually change a straight flowing stream and impart a rotation to them about the flow axis and upstream of the elbow.
In certain pipe line configurations, fluid control devices such as valves are provided in the pipe line downstream from a pump or other turbulence causing structure such as a pipe elbow. For example, the valve may be a check valve to prevent the reverse flow of fluid when the pump is not operating, the valve may be used to completely pinch off the pipeline to stop the flow of fluid, without shutting off the pump, the valve may be used to throttle the fluid flow through the pipe downstream of the pump as a way of fine tuning or balancing the flow volume to meet different requirements, even though the pump might normally provide a greater flow volume than is desired. Some valves combine two or all three of these features.
When valves of these types are used downstream of a pump, it is standard and customary practice to space the valve 5 to 10 pipe diameters downstream of the pump. This is necessary to allow the turbulence created by the pump to subside, to allow the flow to become more laminar, so that operation of the pump is not hampered, such as excessive forces being applied to a partially closed valve. In situations where the pipe diameter is large, this requires a significant pipe run between the pump and the valve. For example, in the case of a 10 inch diameter pipe, the valve should be spaced 50 to 100 inches from the pump. Oftentimes the space for this length of pipe run is not available.
Therefore, it would be an improvement in the art if a device or arrangement were provided to allow for a shorter pipe length to extend between a pump or other source of turbulence in a fluid flow and a valve or other fluid control device that is negatively affected by turbulent flow.